To inspire, inform and envision positive change for all life

Tag Archives: ed brown

“The more we pour the big machines, the fuel, the pesticides, the herbicides, the fertilizer and chemicals into farming, the more we knock out the mechanism that made it all work in the first place.”
– David Brower, environmentalist

A few weeks ago, the World Health Organization named glyphosate a ‘probable carcinogen”. In fact, it was originally classified as such in the 1980s (but mysteriously that was overturned). The makers of glyphosate claim that it is safe for humans since it doesn’t kill human cells. But it does kill our symbiotic gut bacteria and we humanoids have 10 bacteria cells for each human cell. Various studies have shown glyphosate to be in our bodies, in our breast milk, in our placentas and even the blood of our unborn babies. This begs the question:

“Do I have glyphosate in my body too?”

If so, how can I find out?

Henry Rowlands and Ed Brown have just launched an amazing initiative –http://feedtheworld.info/ – to bring the glyphosate conversation into the homes of America. This is the first of its kind, an attempt for the people of America to send in urine, breast milk and home tap water samples to see how exposed they are to glyphosate.

Most of us here in North America only have a vague idea about how ‘conventional’ food is grown. Some people do realize that perhaps their food is sprayed with pesticides, herbicides and fungicides. But don’t really think about it. Who wants to focus on the negative? Most people think that the government wouldn’t allow anything ‘really bad’ to be in and on our food. In some countries, people are given the power to choose. For example, in France, there’s a law that food sprayed with toxins needs to be labelled “produit traite”. I’ve seen it with my own eyes.

In North America we are facing the opposite situation. Unless you either grow your own food, or know your local farmer – or unless your food is “certified organic”, there is no guarantee that you aren’t being subjected to a vast variety of known toxins. In 2014, the government allowed 2,4-D (the active ingredient in the notorious herbicide agent orange) to be sprayed on crops in North America. Since the 1990s, glyphosate (commonly known as Round Up) has been sprayed to the tune of millions of pounds a year. Glyphosate was first used as an industrial cleaner since it binds to heavy metals. Then it was used as weed killer, killing plants and bacteria via the shikimate pathway. It is sprayed on lawns, on playgrounds and even in national parks. Most recently in 2010, glyphosate was patented as an antibiotic.

Resistance to glyphosate has been spliced into most of the GMOs grown in North America. And up until recently, most people have considered it safe. This ‘safe’ designation has permitted ‘conventional’ farmers to put even more of this toxin on our crops, where it ends up contaminating the soil, air and water. It kills habitat for wildlife such as milkweed necessary for the monarch butterflies. It kills bacteria in the soil. It disrupts earthworms. Glyphosate is the most commonly used herbicide in the world. Resistance to glyphosate is genetically spliced into corn, soy, canola, cotton and sugar. That means ‘conventional’ farmers can indiscriminately spray glyphosate on fields to destroy weeds. For more information on glypohsate and to order your test kit, please check out http://feedtheworld.info/

I look forward to testing myself – will keep you posted.

Information can lead to Knowledge.

Knowledge is power.

Power will lead the change.

Let’s empower ourselves and make the world a safer, healthier, more beautiful place!